The Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District (PADBID) has invited shoppers and families back to Central Avenue and surrounding area for a mini-street fair on Saturday.
PADBID cancelled the 2020 Street Fair due to public health restrictions, and won’t be able to hold the event as it regularly would in 2021. However, PADBID executive director Carolyn Carleton said they still want to invite residents back to the downtown core to experience the shopping and family activities. They’re calling it the Downtown Sidewalk Sale and Stroll.
“I think last year everyone missed the street fair,” Carleton said during an interview on Thursday. “We wanted to bring something back this year, but with the ever-changing COVID guidelines, we weren’t sure what we were going to be able to plan.
“We did something that we thought was easily attainable, can be adjusted, and can be a safe event for families to get out and be involved in in the downtown.”
In addition to shopping, restaurants and food trucks will be open in the area, and the Mann Art Gallery and Prince Albert Arts Centre have family crafts scheduled. The John V. Hicks Gallery will host a Northern Image Photographers exhibit in the Arts Centre, and Cumberland Crossing Inn will host the Seasons of the Sun: Indigenous Colours of Life art exhibit in the building’s old ball room.
Jam Street Shared Art Space and Off the Cuff Improve will partner together to host a kids acting workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the Prince Albert Historical Museum and Indigenous People of Prince Albert and Area Interpretive Walk will be open for visitors.
The Farmer’s Market and Gateway Mall will also be open.
“It’s kind of like a mini-street fair, but we’re keeping it open and safe for people to (socially) distance (and) feel comfortable walking around,” Carleton explained.
While the Street Fair typically focuses on drawing visitors to Central Avenue, Carleton said this Saturday’s event puts the focus on the entire downtown core.
She said business owners and local organizations want everyone to feel like they’re welcome downtown, especially since many of them have used to pandemic lockdown to renovate, upgrade, and improve their locations.
“Even if (Prince Albert residents) have been to a store before, they may see something new this time,” Carleton explained. “Plus, there are a few new stores downtown where they may have never gone through the doors before.”
A complete list of events is available at www.princealbertdowntown.ca.
Carleton said all the proper protocols are in place to safely host the event, but visitors should still monitor social media or the website for any changes that occur on short notice.
